Radio broadcast update December 2017

Analogue commercial radio

Licence ‘pre-advertisements’

Ofcom has today invited declarations of intent to apply for the following FM local commercial radio licence. Please click on the ‘area’ in the first column for further detail on the pre-advertisements:

Invitations to apply under fast-track

Ofcom has received one declaration for the following licence, from the current licensee. We are therefore inviting the incumbent licensee to re-apply for the licence under the ‘fast track’ procedure as set out in Ofcom’s guidelines:

Area (station)

Current Licensee

Coleraine (Q Radio)

Northern Media Group Limited

Licence renewals granted in this period

A five year renewal has been granted to the following:

Area

Station name

Licensee

New expiry date

Greater London

Lyca Radio 1458

Lyca Media II Limited

31 December 2022

Local radio licence transfers

Ofcom has approved the transfer of the following local commercial licences:

Area

Station name

Previous Licensee

New Licensee

Morecambe Bay

The Bay

Bay Radio Limited

Global Radio Northwest Limited

Kendal & Windermere

Lakeland Radio

Lakeland Radio Limited

Global Radio Northwest Limited

Digital radio

Digital sound programme service (DSPS) licences issued during this period

Licensee

Lyca Media II Limited*

Baikal Radio Limited

A Spokesman Said Limited

Rocksport Media Ltd

Asian Star Community Radio Limited

*National DSPS licence

DAB multiplex variations

The following multiplex variations were agreed in this period.

Change

Multiplex

Removal of Jack 1 – A music intensive station playing a variety of pop/rock and classic rock for the over 35s

Surrey

Removal of Jack 2 – The station will be the voice for young Surrey/North Sussex, through a mix of primarily new and recent chart music, targeting 18 -29s across the counties.

Surrey

Addition of Baikal Radio – A music radio service featuring British and American pop music, and popular hits in other languages including Russian, with local and world news in English and Russian, and DJ links mostly in Russian.

London 2

Addition of Rocksport – A mix of rock and sport.

Central Scotland

Addition of Lyca Radio UK – A music-led service with a particular emphasis on British Asian Urban artists within a music mix that also appeals to young and older British Asian listeners. The station’s daytime output will include a mix of music, chat and phone-ins relevant to a wide range of listeners.

Sound Digital (national)

Removal of Connect FM – A music-led service aimed primarily at people aged 25-44 living in the four counties of Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire.

Northamptonshire

Removal of Connect FM – A music-led service aimed primarily at people aged 25-44 living in the Peterborough area.

Peterborough

Removal of Magic Christmas – A pop music station featuring Christmas songs and hits from the festive period from the 1950s to today.

Digital One (national)

Analogue community radio

Licences awarded in this period and reasons for the awards

Ofcom has announced, and published the reasons for, the award of seven community radio licences:

See the application forms for community radio licences in areas for which we received responses to our call for expressions of interest, and which overlap with existing licensed community radio service.

Services which have ceased to be licensed (handed back or revoked) in this period

Service name

Licensee

Location

Reason

Brecks FM

Watton Radio Community Interest Company

Watton, Norfolk

Licence Surrender

Licence extensions granted in this period

A five year extension has been granted to the following:

Service name

Licensee

Location

New expiry date

BFBS Catterick

BFBS Catterick Limited

Catterick, North Yorkshire

10 March 2023

Calon FM

Calon Communications Limited

Wrexham, Clwyd

28 February 2023

Wirral Radio

7 Waves Community Radio

Leasowe, Wirral

28 February 2023

Key commitments changes

Each station has as part of its licence, ‘Key Commitments’ which outline what the essential nature of the service is and details any specific expectations of that service. Licensees may request changes to a station’s Key Commitments. For further details, including the application form, see Making Changes to Key Commitments.